R Nadeswaran
COMMENT | If you or I had uttered those words or caused them to be published, a police party would jump over the gate in the wee hours of the morning and arrest us as they did to fellow journalist, Sidek Kamiso in September 2016.
To recap, his tweet saying adios (goodbye in Spanish) on the death of PAS spiritual leader Harun Din was deemed criminally offensive.
The inspector-general at that time said the case was being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony on grounds of religion.
Besides, the all-compassing Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act which criminalises offensive content also came into play.
I had argued that a statement made by an individual and its truthfulness is no business of the police or any other law enforcement authority, unless it breaches the country’s laws.
And saying goodbye to a dearly departed in Spanish is no offence.
COMMENT | If you or I had uttered those words or caused them to be published, a police party would jump over the gate in the wee hours of the morning and arrest us as they did to fellow journalist, Sidek Kamiso in September 2016.
To recap, his tweet saying adios (goodbye in Spanish) on the death of PAS spiritual leader Harun Din was deemed criminally offensive.
The inspector-general at that time said the case was being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony on grounds of religion.
Besides, the all-compassing Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act which criminalises offensive content also came into play.
I had argued that a statement made by an individual and its truthfulness is no business of the police or any other law enforcement authority, unless it breaches the country’s laws.
And saying goodbye to a dearly departed in Spanish is no offence.
I wrote two articles questioning the arrest and the reasons for it.
I had to “educate” the police, the IGP included and suggested that they use Google if they did not understand any foreign word before jumping the gun.
Never mind that the IGP and some of his officers were made to look like fools when they had to retreat with their tails between their legs because the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) decided there was no case and binned the investigation papers.
As an advocate of free speech as one who expresses his views and opinions without fear or favour, I hold steadfastly to the laws of the land.
I had made a conscious decision from the beginning not to touch the three Rs – race, religion and royalty. Occasionally, I cross boundaries because of public interests.
That is why I have chosen to address PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang - whose speeches and diktats have crossed the borders of free speech.
He has falsely accused some communities of wrongdoing and as a result, caused discord and disharmony among the people.
Making wild accusations
No one will have objections if he wants to preach his own breed of his religion, but when he steps on racial issues and even ventures to pass unsavoury remarks on the royalty, it becomes a big “No”.
Ever since GE15, the PAS leader and his cohorts have made all kinds of statements, making wild accusations and authorities seem to believe it is par for the course.
Last year, Hadi turned his guns against the non-Muslims and non-Malays, claiming that the majority of the corrupt are non-Muslims and non-bumiputera.
Last week, he took it further, slamming Malays who work with the non-Muslims and non-Malays, whom he claimed are the “biggest plunderers”.
They (such Malays), he said, work with the non-Muslims and non-Malays, who form the biggest group of plunderers, and those who give and receive bribes.
It continued with a tirade against media outlets which carry the “devil’s voice” and academics “whose brains are kept in their stomachs”.
How long can we go on dismissing these statements as words of a frustrated old man who has lost the seat of power and perks that come with it?
Surely such statements are causing discord, especially with comparisons made and wild accusations being levelled against certain sections of the community.
Hadi has reiterated calls for the Malays to unite, as the race is being openly conned (ditipu terang-terangan). While no one grudges the unity bit but what followed was unacceptable.
“They have become victims of the country's politics, and are being plagued by corruption, moral decay, and division among themselves,” the Marang MP said.
How long will the authorities pretend these wrenching pronouncements were not uttered or published and that they will not be repeated?
Those who monitor social media postings have picked out far lesser harmful statements, arresting the perpetrators, detaining them for a few days and then charging them in court.
Is Hadi one of those untouchables the authorities do not want to touch? Is he one of those who have been given the carte blanche to say anything and the rule books are thrown out of the window in the process?
We cannot have one set of rules for the ordinary man and another set for a politician who is dressed in religious garb with matching headgear to go with it.
But we must take cognisance and be reminded that “no one is above the law” is just another phrase in the armoury of those who are tasked with upholding the law.
Is it a case of “different strokes for different folks?”
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com
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